title: Microbial community composition of Tirez lagoon (Spain), a highly sulfated athalassohaline environment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim was to study the seasonal microbial diversity variations of an athalassohaline environment with a high concentration of sulfates in Tirez lagoon (La Mancha, Spain). Despite the interest in these types of environments there is scarce information about their microbial ecology, especially on their anoxic sediments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We report the seasonal microbial diversity of the water column and the sediments of a highly sulfated lagoon using both molecular and conventional microbiological methods. Algae and Cyanobacteria were the main photosynthetic primary producers detected in the ecosystem in the rainy season. Also dinoflagelates and filamentous fungi were identified in the brines. The highest phylotype abundance in water and sediments corresponded to members of the bacterial phylum Proteobacteria, mainly of the Gamma- and Alphaproteobacteria classes. Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were isolated and identified in Tirez brines and sediment samples. Halophilic sulfate reducing Deltaproteobacteria were also detected (Desulfohalobium).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Important differences have been found in the microbial diversity present in the Tirez water column and the sediments between the wet and dry seasons. Also the Tirez lagoon showed a high richness of the bacterial Alpha- and Deltaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and for the archaeal Euryarchaeota.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Molecular, Edificio de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain. imarin@cbm.uam.es.
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vizioli
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rastoll
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amils
authors.forename: Irma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marin